Many of God’s children don’t live God’s best them because they don’t realize they are sheltered from the storms that come against them. Sadly, because we don’t know God very well, many actually think the storms are meant for them, from God, and they are to endure those storms.

Using the Word of God, which is our foundation of truth, I would like to defend God and show the truth about the storms that come against us. I want to prove to you that they are not from God and how we can by our faith in God, and by His instruction, actually stop the storms in our lives.

I chose the following occurrence from the Word because Jesus demonstrates that we are empowered to do great things, even take control over the wind and the sea. We are not created to be overtaken by our circumstances—even a physical storm—but we are created to be over-comers.

And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm ([a perfect peacefulness). He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no [firmly relying trust)? And they were filled with great awe and [feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?
(Mark 4:37-41)

This is a physical storm, but also an analogy of what any storm that may come against us would be like. When the enemy attacks our minds with doubt and fear, the attack is like a storm that seems over-bearing. The reasons for the storms that come against us are to steal our peace and our trust in God. As I already mentioned, many think the storms are from God; therefore we can see the enemy has already stolen our peace and our trust in God with His lies, using storms (our circumstances) to control us.

The source of the storm is the enemy; he is always at work trying to steal God from us (Mark 4:5), and therefore it is vital we have the understanding of the storm and how to stop it.

Not Moved
Looking at this picture, we can see that Jesus wasn’t moved emotionally by the storm, He never lost His peace. When the disciples woke Jesus to tell Him about the storm, Jesus didn’t freak out and wonder what to do. No, rather He was confident in who He was and His ability to stop the storm. As a standard practice,Jesus took authority over His circumstance; He told the wind and the sea what to do.

The disciples on the other hand were freaking out and their first words were, “Don’t You care?” We might wonder how they could say that to Jesus after all the miracles they had witnessed before the storm, but we do the same thing today. We face a storm and beg God to do something and when He doesn’t do what we want Him to do, we, too, wonder if He cares.

We fail to realize God has given us His permission to do what we are asking Him to do. He has granted us His power and authority to do what He does, what He modeled when He was here. We can take His authority and calm any storm that comes our way with our faith in Him.  

Clearly, if we are Christians, which is the same as a disciple, we are to take our God-given authority over our circumstances. Recall what Jesus said to the disciples after He calmed the storm. He said, “Why are you so timid and fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?”  

Jesus is so right; we are a timid people still today. We let whatever blows our way knock us down. Why are we so timed and fearful, how is it we have no faith? How is it that we don’t get that we are to take authority over our circumstances, as He modeled to us?

Jesus taught that we are to talk to the mountain (our circumstances) and to change them. He taught us through the disciples to take authority over the bad in our lives.

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
(Mark 11:22-23)

The storm Jesus spoke to is just another confirmation of the power that resides in Him and in us to take control over the troubles in our lives.

Delegated Power
Jesus not only demonstrated His power, but He also delegated His power and authority. He sent out seventy men and gave them power and authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, and to share the goodness of God.

The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! And He said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning [flash] from heaven. Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.
(Luke 10:17-19)

Jesus didn’t say put up with your circumstances, He said to change them. He modeled to us to speak to our circumstances and change them. He gave us authority and power over all that the enemy possesses. And He said, “Nothing shall in any way harm you.”

Does that mean the actual storm was from the enemy? It wasn’t from God; Jesus would not come against God. He said no house divided against itself would stand (Matt. 12:25). God is not against Himself; therefore the storm was not from God to Jesus.

God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.
(Gen. 1:26)

God gave us authority over all the earth; therefore, that would include a physical storm. Jesus was demonstrating to us what we were already to have authority over, right from the beginning. Jesus came to show us the Father and His will, the power and authority we are to have over the fish of the sea, the birds, the beasts, the earth, and the enemy.

Jesus at no time begged God to do anything for Him, but He did the greater works and He controlled His circumstances with the power and authority God gave Him. When Jesus left, He gave us the power to do the same (Matt. 28:18).